Page 125 of Offside Angel

Including leave. Those words hang unspoken. If Zane registers they’re there, he blows right on past them, smoothing my hair away from my face.

“Then believe me when I tell you I don’t blame you for a thing, Mira. Believe me when I tell you that none of this is your fault, and believe me when I say I’m not going to stop until you’re finally free from your past.”

I fist my hand in his shirt. Dr. Navarro should hear about the effect being close to Zane has on me. Forget mindful breathing. Just touching him—feeling his heartbeat under my palm—settles something wild inside of me.

“I don’t want you to sacrifice anything for me, Zane. Especially n-not—” I hiccup and swallow down a cry. “Especially not your son.”

He kisses my cheeks to take my tears away. “Nothing is going to happen to Aiden. I’m going to keep him safe, just like I’m going to keep you safe.” He grabs my hand, turning it over to run his thumb along the diamond on my finger. “You belong to me now, Mira. You have my ring and my last name and my protection. I will never let anyone hurt you.” He kisses my knuckle and looks up at me. “Do you believe that? Do you believe in me?”

I nod. It’s easy this time. “More than I’ve ever believed in anything.”

47

ZANE

When I went to get dressed twenty minutes ago, Daniel and Taylor were hunched over the island, scrolling through an endless list of takeout options for dinner.

As I make my way back to the kitchen, not much has changed.

“Pizza,” Daniel argues. “Children love pizza.”

“Which explains why you love it so much.” Taylor hip-checks him out of the way and snatches the phone. “If I have to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tonight, I’m doing it with egg rolls. End of story.”

I round the corner into the kitchen, adjusting my cufflinks. “You two really don’t have to do this. If you want to go to the ceremony?—”

“As a member of the team staff, I had to vote on who got which award and, spoiler alert: none of them were for me.” Daniel arches a brow like that is enough of an explanation. In case it isn’t, he adds, “Plus, everyone is still pissy about us not making the playoffs. It’s a negative energy.”

“Says the man who didn’t have to sit and watch tape from that game for the last two days,” I grumble.

We lost to the St. Louis Mules even though their star player spent half the game in the penalty box for absolutely wrecking Davis and Carson. Simply put, they outplayed us. Jace tried to give a speech after the game to inspire some hope for next season, but the guys didn’t want to hear it.

I couldn’t even blame them. My head was already at home with Mira and Aiden.

“You could go just to get dressed up and for the free drinks,” I suggest.

But Taylor waves both arms in front of her like she’s warding off a demon. “Absolutely not. We went to a fundraiser on my dad’s behalf last night. I spent eight hours in stilettos with rich men twice my age who wanted to talk to my cleavage way more than they wanted to talk to me.”

“And I couldn’t even punch them in their dentures for ogling my lady,” Daniel grits out.

“It was a nightmare,” she concludes. “Tonight, I want to wear sweats and eat garbage.”

“Fine,” I relent. “But if you change your mind, I can ask Evan to come sit with Aiden just as easily.”

He’s been spending most of his nights the last couple weeks patrolling the perimeter of the property, anyway. I try to make sure to account for the extra hours in his paycheck, but he doesn’t even tell me he’s out there half the time. As far as I’m concerned, he’s priceless.

Daniel gasps in outrage. “No one can replace Uncle Daniel! Not Evan, not anyone. How dare you even suggest it?”

Taylor rolls her eyes. “What he’s trying to say is that we would love nothing more than some extra time with our favorite nephew.”

“Our only nephew,” Daniel points out. “But even if we had a dozen, Aiden would still take the cake. I’m happy to be his bodyguard for the night.”

Suddenly, a blonde mop of hair pops up between their legs. “I don’t need a bodyguard. I already have one at school.”

“Yeah, but can your bodyguard at school do this?” Daniel picks Aiden up and tosses him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He flips him around until Aiden has done a full three-sixty and is back on his feet.

“No!” Aiden giggles. “We’re in school. It’s not allowed. Hank just stares at me all day.”

It’s been weeks since Dante tried to pick Aiden up from school, and we’ve been in a stasis. Nothing has changed, for better or for worse. On one hand, it’s nice. On the other, I get the feeling Dante is planning something.

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